Bethesda Softworks, the publisher behind such renowned titles as Fallout 3 and Skyrim, has announced that a new Wolfenstein first-person shooter is being developed by Machine Games and is scheduled for release in Q3 2013.

Bethesda Softworks today announces Wolfenstein: A New Order, an upcoming first-person shooter set in the iconic Wolfenstein franchise is in development and is scheduled for a release later this year.

The game is being constructed by MachineGames, a development team that includes members from Starbreeze Studios that created such dark and stylish titles as The Darkness and The Chronicles of Riddick.

Jens Matthies, creative director at MachineGames, had the following to say regarding the new Wolfenstein release:

“We are excited to bring a new chapter of Wolfenstein to gamers everywhere,” Jens began. “As fans of the series, working on this game is an honor, and our team is driven to create an unforgettable action-adventure experience that will make FPS fans proud.”

It will be interesting to see what new game mechanics that MachineGames introduces to make this iteration of Wolfenstein stand out from its host of predecessors, and how far the development team will push the dark and bizarre elements within the game. The franchise certainly has grown from id Software's iconic 1992 shooter Wolfenstein 3-D and its predecessor Castle Wolfenstein from Muse Software in the 1980's.

Wolfenstein: A New Order is slated for a release in Q3 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC and is also in development for next-gen consoles as well.

More information on the upcoming title–including exclusive feature stories–will be revealed starting Wednesday, May 8th.